TOMÁŠ BAŤA

1876–1932

Tomáš Baťa was a hugely successful businessman who not only built his family business into an internationally recognized footwear company but also sought to look after his workers.

On April 3, 1876, Tomáš Baťa was born into a family of shoemakers in Zlín in what is now the Czech Republic. With his brother and sister, he set up a company in his hometown in 1894, with 10 employees. Facing financial setbacks, Baťa began making shoes using cheaper canvas instead of leather, known as Baťovka. This proved so popular that the company was soon employing 50 people. Further growth came when Baťa won a contract to supply military boots during World War I. As the business expanded, he built houses to accommodate his workers, as well as schools, a hospital, and even a Baťa cinema. The Baťa Shoe Company became the leading manufacturer of footwear in Czechoslovakia and began building factories in other parts of Europe, together with towns for its employees to live in. Tomáš Baťa served as mayor of Zlín from 1923 until his death in a plane crash in 1932. Today, the company he founded has 5,300 outlets spread over 70 countries and employs over 80,000 people.